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Sense or sensibility? Social sharers’ evaluations of socio-affective vs. cognitive support in response to negative emotions

Journal

Cognition & Emotion

Volume | Issue number

32 | 6

Pages (from-to)

1247-1264

Number of pages

18

Document type

Article

Faculty

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG)

Institute

Psychology Research Institute (PsyRes)

Abstract

When in emotional distress, people often turn to others for social support. A general distinction has been made between
two types of support that are differentially effective: Whereas socio-affective support temporarily alleviates emotional distress,
cognitive support may contribute to better long-term recovery. In the current studies, we examine what type of support individuals
seek. We first confirmed in a pilot study that these two types of support can be reliably distinguished. Then, in Study 1,
we experimentally tested participants' support evaluations in response to different emotional situations using a vignette
methodology. Findings showed that individuals perceived any type of reaction that included socio-affective support as preferable.
The evaluation of cognitive support, however, was dependent on the specific emotion: Unlike worry and regret, anger and sadness
were characterised by a strong dislike for purely cognitive support. Using different materials, Study 2 replicated these findings.
Taken together, the findings suggest that individuals evaluate different types of support in a way that is unlikely to benefit
emotional recovery in the long run.

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